Pallets are commonly used to ship large quantities of products. For instance, manufacturers may load products onto pallets for transport from manufacturing facilities to warehouses or distribution centers, and then for further transport from warehouses or distribution centers to the manufacturer's customers, such as retailers. Although retail stores generally stock their goods in purchasing aisles grouped by product category, retailers may use the pallets on which products are shipped for in-store display of the products in the larger aisles that are generally not dedicated to a given product category. Such larger aisles of the store generally are predominantly provided for consumer travel to access the dedicated purchasing aisles.
The use of pallets in such manner provides various cost savings to both the retailers and the manufacturers. For instance, the pallet loaded with products may be deposited (e.g., by fork lift) directly at the display location in the store, rather than deposited in the stock room, back room, or inventory, thus freeing up space in the retailer's stock room. Employees need not expend time and energy transporting cartons of the product from the stock room to a shelf (or other display area) at a merchandising location. Because larger quantities of a product may be displayed on a pallet than on a typical store shelf, less time and effort is expended in re-stocking the display for the product, In fact, products typically are shopped down from a pallet and not restocked. Moreover, because larger quantities of a product may be displayed on a pallet than on a typical store shelf, all products remain on the pallet and the retailer need not dedicate stock room space to store products (as would be the case if such products were displayed on a shelf which cannot accommodate the full pallet-load of products). Once the display is largely sold down/sold through, the stock from a promotional display may be placed in the home location of the product.
Manufacturers benefit from having their products displayed on a pallet because pallets typically draw consumer attention by virtue of their mass and stand-alone location along the larger aisles or main drive aisles of the store generally traveled to access the purchasing aisles. The display of products on pallets positioned in a main drive aisle induces impulse purchases, not only because such displays tend to grab consumer attention, but also because the product is positioned for higher visibility. More particularly, there is more foot traffic (and thus a greater number of potential shopper pass such display) in a main drive aisle because consumers typically circulate through the store by walking the perimeter or main drive aisle.
In order to enhance saleability and the attention-grabbing aspect, including the visual impact/aesthetic impact, stopping power, or signature-personality (see and remember quality) of displaying products on pallets, manufacturers may utilize pallet displays, which are a type of display designed to rest on a pallet (or at least to be set among other pallets used to display products). Pallet displays permit the efficient shipping and rollout to sales floors provided by simply displaying products on a pallet, yet also permit various additional benefits. One significant benefit of pallet displays is that they may be designed to have various features that attract consumers. For instance, pallet displays generally contain sufficient panels or “billboard” space or printable surface area for graphics, product imagery, branding (e.g., logos), consumer education, or other messaging and communications. Generally, more information may be provided on a pallet display than at the home location for the product (on a shelf in the aisle dedicated to the product category for such product). Structural elements may also be provided to enhance the display (such as by providing additional graphics, etc., or audio-visual effects, etc.). Likewise, the pallet display may have a unique shape or configuration enhancing display of the products. Pallet displays thus are generally more aesthetically appealing than displays of products merely stacked on a pallet.
Pallet displays can incur challenges in shipping. For example, four-sided shelved pallet displays are used for books, and are often between 50 and 60 inches height for visibility. Such tall displays cannot be double stacked in a standard 100 inch tractor trailer for shipping. Because of this, tall pallet displays can only be single stacked in a tractor trailer, which leaves a great deal of wasted freight space, resulting in higher shipping costs for the manufacturer. It would be desirable to design a pallet display that, while tall enough to grab attention in a store, can be shipped compactly. It would also be desirable that such a pallet display be easily assembled from the compact shipping package.